


The Softest Touch

by Sylvia_Fey



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Abusive Parents, Action & Romance, Adopted Children, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Adoption, Awkward Raphael (TMNT), Awkward Romance, Child Abuse, Cute, Developing Relationship, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Interspecies Romance, Love, Multi, New York City, Other, Physical Abuse, Protective Raphael (TMNT), Raphael (TMNT)-centric, Raphael Romance, Romantic Fluff, Secret Admirer, TMNT, Teen Romance, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:21:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29077011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylvia_Fey/pseuds/Sylvia_Fey
Summary: Raphael is always the roughest, toughest, most badass of his siblings. Always arguing with Leonardo about Leo telling him what should and shouldn't be done. Then, one night, after another arguement, Raphael leaves the Lair to clear his mind. Except this time, he comes across a scene that leaves his blood boiling.Alex was the spitting image of her mother, until tragedy struck, taking her mother from this world and leaving her alone with her step-father. Almost right away, the abuse started, but being underage and without much more contact with the outside world, except for an inner-city school, she had nowhere else to go and no one to turn to, until a secret guardian started caring for her.Will Raphael reveal himself to this girl? Will Alex be accepting of him? You'll just have to read and find out.This takes place between after the first 2014 movie and into the second with a few 90s and cartoon bits thrown in.
Relationships: Donatello & Leonardo & Michelangelo & Raphael & Splinter (TMNT), Leonardo (TMNT)/Original Female Character(s), Michelangelo (TMNT)/Original Character(s), Raphael (TMNT) & Original Character(s), Raphael (TMNT)/Original Character(s), Raphael (TMNT)/Original Female Character(s), Splinter (TMNT)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9





	1. Cover




	2. Her Name Is Alex

It was just another fight. Just another day like any other. Raphael and Leonardo had gotten into another arguement over something stupid. He knew it was stupid but he just couldn't stand how right Leonardo acted all the time. Raphael scoffed, _Just because splinter made him the leader, he thinks he knows better_. He scuffed the bottom of his boot on the stone, giving a few pebbles a kick across the rooftop. He grabbed onto a metal bar, leaning out over the ledge and breathing deeply, taking in the cold polluted air of the city. _His_ city. His home. New York. There was no place like New York. He could feel the tension and anger just seep away with every breath and every sound. Even the sound of someone sobbing... He hesitated, listening to the sobbing coming from below him. He looked down, narrowing his eyes to look through the gaps on the fire escape. He could just make out the top of someone's head, their brown hair blowing in the wind coming up from the streets below. It didn't take him much time to notice that whoever it was, was coming up the fire escape toward him. His eyes widened before he used his ninja skills. Disappearing into the shadows to watch and wait. His heart hammered in his chest at the thought of almost being caught. It wasn't long before a hand reached for the top of the ladder, followed by the head of a girl, then her body. She stepped down from the edge of the building and sniffled, shivering in the cool night air. He watched her shuffle to one of the air conditioner units, huddling against the unit to keep the cold off. He frowned, wondering why someone would come outside without a coat or something warmer, at least, but that thought quickly disappeared when he heard yelling coming from the fire escape. Staying in the shadows, he moved to the edge of the building watching an older man climb out of one of the windows and stalk up the escape to the roof. The girl moved around the air conditioning unit, hiding from the man as he climbed over the edge of the building. 

"Alex! Come here, now!" the man snarled, his voice echoing across the building. 

Raphael's eyes turned to the girl, watching as she covered her mouth with her hands, silently sobbing into her hand. He took a deep, calming breath. _Not my problem_ , he thought, starting to turn away. 

"ALEX!" the man shouted, moving closer to the air conditioning unit. 

She shifted away from the edge of her hiding spot, closing her eyes in a silent prayer that he wouldn't look for her.

After a few minutes, the man disappeared back down the ladder, leaving the girl alone on the roof. She let out a breath of relief, pulling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her knees, sobbing. For some reason, Raphael hadn't moved from where he had watched the scene. He just... didn't want to leave the girl alone. She was cold, and scared, and alone... and he didn't want to leave her like that. He sighed, cursing under his breath as he moved around the edge of the roof. He pulled his coat off and hung it on a piece of metal sticking out of the side of the door that led into the building. Peeking around the side of the doorway, he gave a few pebbles a gentle kick, snapping the girl's eyes up at the sound. She stared, wide-eyed, at the doorway, terrified that someone, most likely that man, would burst through the door and find her. After a few seconds, she took a deep breath, fighting off the tremors of cold as she stood and moved toward the doorway. She said a quick prayer before peeking around the doorway, blinking at the empty space there. She looked around, thinking that the pebbles moving must have just been a gust of wind before something moving caught her eye. She looked at the ratty old looking coat hanging from a piece of metal, wondering how it got there. She moved forward, gently taking the coat with shaking hands and pulling it from the hook. it was heavy and thick and looking almost four sizes too big for her small frame. She swallowed, looking around once more before cautiously pulling the coat on. It was WAY too big, but it was warm and soft and fought off the cold easily. She closed her eyes as the coat seemed to swallow her, inhaling the smell of sewage but... something else. She couldn't place it but it smelled nice and the heat from the coat made her think that someone had just taken it off and wrapped her up in it. She looked around again, from under the coat, wondering where it had come from. Surely this heavy thing couldn't have been carried all the way up here by just the wind. Even as she sat down against the brick that held the stairs leading down into the building, she quietly thanked whatever god or being had left this here for her to find. 

Raphael watched the girl for a few moments, ignoring the cold as she seemed to snuggle up in his coat, using it for shelter from the weather. He huffed, leaping off the roof and onto another one, trying to come up with reasons why he would be returning without a coat on. He had a few ideas, but he knew he had to come up with something more stable or Leonardo would rip it apart if Donnie didn't. His mind just kept going back to the girl on the roof in the cold, wrapping in his coat that probably smelled like the sewer and the man that had been looking for her. _Alex. Her name is Alex_. He dropped down into the sewer and ran through the pipes heading home without a story to tell about how he lost his coat. 

* * *

The sun had started to come up when Alex stirred in her sleep, partially surprised that she had actually lived through the cold night and partially upset about it. She didn't want to go back to the apartment, not with her step-father there. She looked toward the sun, trying to determine if he had gone to work or not. She hoped that he did. Slowly and with a groan, she pulled the coat off, carefully folding it before looking around for somewhere to put it so it wouldn't get blown away or stolen by someone. She frowned, finding only a few pieces of brick to place on top of it before heading for the ladder that led down the fire escape. She hesitated at the window leading into her bedroom, peering into the dimly lit room for any movement. When she was sure there wasn't anyone in her room, she crept into the window, carefully stepping down onto the carpet and making her way to her door. She listened at the door for movement, holding her breath as she did. She stepped out, her door having been removed within a couple of months of them moving in here, and out into the hallway. She swallowed, tip-toeing down the hall to the living room and into the kitchen. She snuck to the cabinets and sighed at the padlock on the cabinets and the chains going around the fridge. She shuffled around the kitchen, looking for something, anything, to eat. She didn't find anything and headed back to her room, ignoring the pain in her stomach as she got dressed for school. She grabbed her backpack and left the apartment, heading down the stairs and out into the street, already fearing coming home and hoping that her step-father was either already passed out or not home. 

* * *

"Where did you go, Raph?" Leo inquired, narrowing his eyes at his brother.

"None of your business," Raph growled, shoving past the smaller turtle as he stalked toward a weight bench. 

"You know we've got to be careful about going above ground," Leo said, following Raph to the bench.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Raph grumbled, laying down on the bench and starting to do presses. 

Leo grabbed the bar, keeping Raph from lowering it to his chest, "I'm serious, Raph. Someone could have followed you back here and then you'd be putting everyone in danger."

Raphael rolled his eyes, "I get it, okay. I just needed some air. This place stinks and you're suffocating," he growled as he put the barbell up and sat up.

"I'm trying to keep everyone safe," Leonardo retorted, sounding angry and Rafael knew this would be another fight, but he was too tired to deal with his brother's stifling concerns. 

"I get that, Leo, but staying down here, hiding in the shadows... I want to _live_ not just survive. This," he motioned around the room they were in, "isn't living."

Leonardo frowned, "if it's so bad, then why don't you leave and not come back?"

Raphael got back in his face, "maybe I will."

The two glared at one another for a few moments before the sound of a cup emptying through a straw brought their attention to Michelangelo, who was watching them while sitting in a chair with a cup in one hand a slice of pizza in the other. He blinked at them before slowly taking a bite of pizza, the two rolling their eyes at their goofball of a brother.

"You may be in charge, Leo, but you aren't the boss of me," Raphael growled, walking away from Leonardo and flopping down into his bed, rolling away from the cloth-covered door with a sigh. He closed his eyes, ignoring Leonardo ranting and Donatello and Michelangelo trying to calm him down. His mind drifted back to the girl he had seen before coming home and the man that was chasing her. _Alex_. Her hair was long and brown and blew wildly in the wind. Her outfit was thin and made for sleeping, not climbing up the side of a building in the middle of the night. He wondered as he drifted off to sleep if she would be on that roof again the next night. He almost wanted to go out again to see, to show himself to her... but he was afraid of how she would react to him. Humans would never understand them and would always be afraid of them and he knew that as much as his brothers and master did. He rolled over with a huff, deciding not to dwell on the girl anymore... but his mind wouldn't let him forget how terrified she was of that man that had been looking for her. She risked the cold to hide from that man. _We're supposed to protect the weak and powerless. How am I supposed to do that when I'm not supposed to reveal myself either?_ He hoped that she would survive the night so he could see her again, even if she didn't know he even existed. 

* * *

School was uneventful, as usual. She just kept her head down while in class and moving between classes, and took lunchtime to study, since she didn't have money for lunch, as usual. She walked home from school, wincing as her stomach twisted in a knot from not having anything to eat in a few days. She kept her eyes on the ground, trying not to look at the windows of baked goods, deli meat, and pizza but the smell was enough to almost make her want to puke from lack of food. She swallowed, covering her nose with her hand as she hurried back home, moving up the stairs at a slow pace before reaching her floor. She hesitated at the door, hearing the sound of a basketball game playing on the TV in the living room. She swallowed, wanting to just turn around and leave but knowing that she didn't have anywhere else to go. She took a deep breath, slowly opening the door and stepping in. She leaned to see if he was sitting there in the living room, and let out a calming breath. He was asleep in the chair facing the door with a beer in his hand. She quietly closed the door and locked it, tip-toeing through the living room, down the hallway, and to her bedroom. She started to set her backpack down, freezing at the sound of the chair in the living room creaking. Her breath stopped in her throat, her heart beating against her chest so hard it almost hurt. She closed her eyes as the sound of the footsteps came down the hallway and stopped in her doorway. She didn't turn around, taking a deep breath and holding it as she set her backpack down on the desk and started to pull out her homework.

"Got homework?" the man asked, his voice rough from sleep.

She swallowed and nodded, "yes... I have an essay due tomorrow on a couple of chapters from the book we're assigned..." she said, neatly stacking her notebooks and school books on the desk as she pulled them out of the pack. 

"Hm," he grunted.

She didn't look at him but his presence was like a dark shadow looming in the doorway, his eyes burrowing into her and making her uncomfortable.

"Where were you last night?"

She shrugged, "I just went up to the roof," she said, her voice getting quiet.

The man scoffed, "I bet you were out street walking again. Selling your body to anyone that'd buy it."

She didn't say anything, keeping her eyes on the notebooks. It was no use trying to arguing with him. It always ended one of two ways and both were equally as scarring. She took a deep breath, deciding to change the subject as best she could, "I better get my homework done so I don't get in trouble at school." She waited for him to move away from the door and back down the hallway to the living room before finally breathing out and taking a seat in the chair at the desk. She looked at the picture sitting on her desk of her and her mom when she was young, both smiling wide in the autumn sun with toboggans and mittens on. She gave the picture a soft smile before feeling the sadness settle in her chest like it always did. She sighed, scooting closer to the desk and opened her social studies book.

* * *

He went back to the rooftop, his heart pounding with the thought of seeing that girl again. He tried to wrap his head around it. Why he was so obsessed with this girl, this human, that meant nothing to him and he had only seen once. He landed on the roof and looked around, being wary of the lights. He spotted something under a pile of bricks. He moved a few of the bricks before realizing that it was his coat, folded up and hidden away as if she didn't want anyone to find it, and maybe she didn't. He picked up the coat, pulling it on as he did and, for whatever reason, smelling just inside the collar. It still stank of the sewer but under that, there was something else. Something soft and floral. He wondered if it was her shampoo or a lotion she used or if it was just the way she smelled. He closed his eyes, taking another deep inhale and sighing, his mind wandering to the girl again before the sound of someone coming up the ladder snapped him back to reality. He moved into the shadows, watching the ladder. His eyes went wide when the girl appeared, crawling over the edge of the roof and stepping down onto the gravel. She looked around before looking back down the fire escape, as if afraid she was being followed or watched. When she was sure she wasn't, she hurried to where she had hidden the coat, her heart sinking when she saw that the bricks keeping the coat in place had been moved and the coat was gone. She let out a sad sigh, wrapping her arms around her stomach as it groaned, twisting into knots again. She furrowed her brows against the pain, closing her eyes to pray the pain away. As she fought off the feeling of hunger, Raphael watched, wondering what was wrong with her. His eyes moved over her but he couldn't see anything wrong, not on the outside, anyway. 

She sat down, the lack of food starting to get to her, "I'm so hungry," she muttered, leaning against the air conditioning unit with her eyes closed and her arms around her stomach. 

Raphael frowned, barely hearing her speak. He started to open his mouth to tell her to just get something when the sound of someone coming up the ladder, alerted him again. He frowned at the man that came over the edge of the building. The same man from the night before. 

"Alex!" the man shouted.

Raphael looked at her, watching her stiffen at the sound of her name. He saw her take a deep breath before starting to get to his feet. He shook his head, whispering "don't" as if he were watching a horror movie. 

She stood up and turned to face the man, her expression sad and fearful.

"There you are. Are you finished with your homework?"

She swallowed and nodded, slowly.

The smile the man gave her made Raphael's skin crawl.

"Good girl."

Those words also made his skin crawl. What kind of creep was this guy?

"Come on. You have... other things to do before you're done for the night."

She stood, staring at the man before a tear trickled down her cheek. She lowered her face toward the ground and robotically moved toward the man. Raphael ground his teeth, clenching his fists at the disgusting vibes he was getting off the man, and wanting nothing more than to give the guy a kick off the building. But he knew he couldn't. He couldn't reveal himself and put he and his brothers in danger, all for some random girl that he had only seen twice. She stepped onto the ladder and slowly moved down the rungs. It was only when he saw the man step over and look down, jolting slightly before something large hit the metal fire escape below, did Raphael realize what kind of home life this girl had. He moved to the edge of the building as the man disappeared, watching him grab her by her hair and lift her to her feet before practically dragging her down the stairs to the fourth landing and shoving her hard into the apartment on that level. "Damnit!" Raphael snarled, slamming his fist hard on the brick and shattering it. He wanted to do something. He knew he could do something but... he couldn't risk it... not now... not yet.

* * *

She hit the wall hard, with a yelp, sliding down as stars danced in her vision. She groaned, trying to will herself to get up, but she was too weak from hunger. He grabbed her by the hair, lifting her to her feet and punching her in the stomach over and over again until she vomited stomach bile that burned her throat and nose. He jumped back, giving her a disgusted sneer before kicking her in the face. She grunted, rolling onto her side as the edges of her vision started to go black. _It'll be over soon_ , she thought, watching his feet move to her doorway and disappear. Only then, did she pass out. 

A few hours later, Alex woke up, her vision slowly clearing as she blinked at the wall. She rolled onto her stomach, groaning and grunting as she got onto her hands and knees. She panted, the pain in her face and stomach pulsing. _I'm not going to school tomorrow_ , she thought, grabbing onto the bookshelf to help pull herself up. She winced with every muscle movement before finally standing straight. She looked toward the doorway, the light coming in from the window casting a strange shadow across her wall, like a large man. She looked at the window, staring for a few moments before realizing that no one was there. She went to the window, pulling it open to look out to make sure no one was going up or down the fire escape. She let out a strained breath, turning to close the window again when a white box sitting on one of the steps below caught her eye. She stared for a few moments, her vision still blurry from the beating. She stepped out of the window, moving stiffly down the couple of steps to the box.

She read the box, as she picked it up, feeling the heat coming through the bottom of the box. She blinked at it a few times, thinking that she was still passed out or asleep. There was no way anyone would just leave a whole pizza sitting on a fire escape. She swallowed, her stomach doing somersaults as she flipped open the lid. Sure enough, an entire pizza, steamed in the box. The smell was intoxicating. She swallowed, her mouth-watering in anticipation as she slowly pulled a piece from the pie and took a bite. She groaned at how good it was. Cheezy, with just enough sauce and pepperoni. The crust was soft and tasted of garlic and olive oil. She was halfway through her third slice when she noticed the note stuck to the lid of the box. She pulled the note and opened it, reading the rough handwriting before looking up and around, wondering where he had gone. 

_Alex,_

_I hope this helps with your stomachache. I'm sorry I can't do more for you. Enjoy._

_Raphael_

She looked back down at the note, reading it over and over again and wondering if he was the one that gave her the coat that night. Maybe Raph was her guardian angel or one of the neighbors in the building. She wasn't sure, but she gave the note a small smile. "Thank you, Raphael."


	3. Raph's Got A Girlfriend

She didn't go to school that day, trying to find a way to cover up the bruises that had started to form on her face and arms, but the make-up never worked. It only made it look worse than normal. The empty Pizza box sat on the desk next to her, reminding her that there was someone out there that cared about her, enough to leave her something to eat, anyway. She had stashed the note away in a shoebox at the back of her closet, hoping that her step-father wouldn't go looking for anything and find it. She frowned at her reflection, pulling her hair out of her eyes and shaking her head. She wanted to do something to thank Raph. If it wasn't for him, she would have nearly starved to death. She took a deep breath and stood from her desk, moving out of her bedroom and toward her step-fathers. As she reached the door, she reminded herself that she had to make sure that she left everything exactly the way it was. _I'm only going to get what I need_ , she thought, walking to the dresser and carefully pulling it open. There were stacks of money sitting in the top drawer, just crumpled up here and there. Carefully, she removed a ten from the drawer that was closer to the front where you couldn't see unless you were leaning over the drawer to look. _That should be enough,_ she thought, slowly sliding the drawer closed and quickly leaving the bedroom. She let out a breath of relief and hurried to the front door, making sure to grab her backpack on the way out in case her step-father came back before she got home. She could pretend she was in school the entire day. 

* * *

He grunted with each push of the barbell, breathing out through his mouth as he pushed up and in through his nose as he let it drop to his chest. 

"Soooooo, whatcha been doin'? Going out at night... alone..." Michelangelo asked, leaning over the barbell as Raph pushed it up. 

Raphael rolled his eyes, "none-ya, Mikey," he said, giving one more benchpress before putting the bar back on the stand.

"Sure," Mikey said, taking a bite of pizza as he watched Raph stand and go to the punching bag, "but Donnie said that you bought pizza and, funny thing, you didn't bring home any pizza."

"So?" Raph asked, giving the bag a few hits.

"Just thought it was a little, you know... selfish to buy pizza for yourself and not share with us, especially me. I was starving and you just ate the pizza by yourself."

Raphael rolled his eyes again, "I didn't buy it for me."

"Then who?" Donnie asked as he walked past, stopping to stare intensely at Raph with Mikey. 

"Again, None-ya," Raphael growled, pushing between the two and heading for the more wide-open space of their home. 

"Raphael," Splinter's voice stopped him, "there is something bothering you, my son."

Raph stared at a spot on the floor, refusing to say yes or no. Splinter would figure it out either way. 

"Come," Splinter said, motioning the young man into his meditation room.

Raphael didn't want to but Splinter may be the only one he could talk to without getting angry or feeling judged for it. He went into the meditation room and took a seat, crossing his legs as Splinter sat down in front of him.

"Now, what is it that's bothering you so much?" Splinter asked, his voice gentle as he spoke to the hot-headed turtle.

Raphael didn't want to say anything, still afraid that Splinter might berate him for going out alone, but since saving New York from Shredder, the old rat had given them more freedom to leave the sewer. 

"Come now. You've been more aggravated than usual. Why? I will not judge."

Raphael took a deep breath and swallowed, "I... there's this... girl..."

Splinter's ears perked up slightly, "a girl?"

Raphael nodded, "yeah. She... doesn't have a very safe home and I want to do something about it but..."

"You haven't revealed yourself to her, have you?" Splinter asked, his tone a mixture of concern and anger.

"No, Master Splinter, but... I want to," he said, going into the story of how he left her his coat that night and what he saw the next night. Her fear, her sadness, climbing down the fire escape and forcing himself to leave as the girl got beat. When he was finished with his story, he kept his eyes on the ground, glaring at it as he clenched his fists on his knees. "What am I supposed to do about that?"

Splinter sighed, watching the mixture of anguish and anger move across Raph's face before speaking, "there's nothing you can do."

Raphael's eyes shot up with a look of shock before getting to his feet, "what? What do you mean I can't do anything? There has to be something! Alex doesn't deserve that! Nobody deserves that."

"Alex? The girl?" Splinter asked with a frown, "how do you know her name if you haven't revealed yourself to her?"

Raphael sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "that man yelled it when he was looking for her."

Splinter shook his head, "there's nothing you can do, Raphael. I'm sorry."

Raphael scowled at the rat and shook his head before stalking from the meditation room, furious. _There has to be something_.

* * *

What do you get a guardian angel? A teddy bear? Some small cookies and snacks? A cake? She didn't know, but she had settled on a small sack of cookies from the local bakery. Little frosted sugar cookies shaped like animals. She hoped that Raphael liked them and that they were a good enough thank you gift for him. She had never felt more pleased and happier than she did at that moment as she set the cookies on her window sill. She hoped that maybe, he would see them and like them. Luckily, her step-father hadn't been home yet so it was easy to smuggle the little bag into the house and her room. She closed the window and let out a calming breath, her nerves about whether he would like them or not made her feel jittery. She opened her school book and started doing the next section of the lesson, glancing at the window every few minutes to see if the cookies were gone or not.

* * *

Raphael climbed down the fire escape, being virtually silent as he came to her window. He looked in at the girl, fast asleep at the desk, laying on books and papers. The scene reminded him of Donnie when he was studying something to the point of passing out. He let out a relieved sigh, half expecting that she was either dead or in the hospital. He stepped back, his hand knocking something off the window sill and onto the fire escape. He blinked, looking down at the small bag lying at his feet. He tilted his head, leaning down to pick it up. There was a red ribbon tied around the top of it with a little note. He opened the note and smiled at the thank you scrawled across it. He opened the bag, pulling out one of the little cookies shaped like a bird before looking back in the window at the girl. He smiled, taking a seat on the fire escape where he could watch her sleep as he ate his cookies, being sure to save a couple for Mikey. He stayed there all night, watching over her like some sort of creepy peeping Tom, but it made him feel better knowing that she was safe. He leaned against the railing, watching her back rise and fall with every breath, counting them. He started to wonder why he seemed to have an obsession with this girl. There had been plenty of human girls that probably had problems like her, hundreds even. So, why was she any different? No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't wrap his brain around the why. If he wasn't afraid of Donnie poking fun at him, he would have asked him about it, or even Mikey, but not Leo. Never Leo. He watched her for a few more moments, soaking in a little of the morning sun before yawning and rising to his feet, jumping over the fire escape railing, and running through the alleys to get home, which he regretted instantly.

"Where've you been, bro?" Mikey prodded, getting right in Raph's face.

Raphael sighed, shoving the bag of cookies in Mikey's chest, "here. Now stop bothering me."

Mikey grunted, looking at the bag of cookies and starting to dig in before he found the note Raphael had forgotten about, "what's this? To... my Guardian angel? Thanks for the pizza? Heart, Alex?" Mikey read aloud with a laugh, "who's Alex?"

Raphael swiftly tried to snatch the note from Mikey, only to grab for air. The downside of being a ninja along with your brothers is that they're ninjas too, making it hard to get things from them. "None-ya. Give it here, Mikey."

Michelangelo shuffled away from his brother with a grin, "is it your giiiiiiiiiiirlfriiiiiiend? Raph's got a girlfriend. Raph's got a girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Raphael growled, grabbing onto Mikey and trying to get the paper from the smaller reptile, "now give it here, Mikey."

"Raph's got a girlfriend," Mikey continued to taunt, holding the paper away from Raphael, "Hey, wait. You bought her pizza but you didn't bring any for us? Low blow, bro."

Raphael clicked his tongue, grabbing the note and quickly shoving it in his pocket while glaring at his little brother, "shut up."

"Is that why you've been leaving every night? For some girl?" Leonardo asked, sounding angry, as usual.

Raphael rolled his eyes, "I can leave if I want, Leo. I don't need your permission. You don't need to know everything going on in my life." He stalked away from the area and to his room, not wanting to have another petty arguement with Leo. Unfortunately, Leonardo wasn't going to just let it go and followed Raphael to his room.

"If whatever you're doing out there is a danger to this family, then I need to know about it, Raph," Leo growled as he entered Raph's room behind him.

"It's not dangerous, Leo. You think I'd be stupid enough to compromise the safety of our home? I'm not stupid," Raphael growled, turning around and getting in Leo's face.

"You're reckless, Raph. You have a tendency to think of yourself over the family."

Raphael scoffed, "oh, yeah. Like anyone would follow me down into the sewer."

"You don't know if they would or not," Leo growled back, poking Raphael in the chest.

"What's your problem? I'm not doing anything dangerous and I'm not bothering you or anybody else."

"My problem is, you're running off every night to see this girl and who knows what kind of trouble she'd cause if she saw you. Wake up, Raphael. Humans will never accept us."

Raphael glared at Leo as the other turtle glared back before the two broke apart, leaving one another to fume.

"For what it's worth," Mikey said, having followed the two, "these are really good cookies."

* * *

Alex groaned as she sat up in her chair, rubbing at a crick in her neck as she casually looked toward the window. Her eyes went wide and she jumped up, going to the window and throwing it open to look for the cookies. When she saw that they were gone, she smiled, hoping that he liked them, before closing the window and getting dressed for school. The day went by almost too slowly, the clock ticking in a mocking tone _tick tick tick tick_. She barely paid attention to the teacher and had gotten all her homework done before the final bell to go home. As soon as it rang, she shoved the books and notebooks in her backpack and took off out the door and down the street toward home pausing at the deli long enough to order a couple of roast beef sandwiches. On the way home, she stuffed them into her backpack, to hide them just in case her step-father was home. She took the stairs two at a time, hurrying to the front door, and only as she opened it did she remember to be careful. Luckily, he wasn't home yet, which made her more excited. She hurried to her room and opened the window, climbing up the fire escape without taking off her backpack. The had just barely set as she climbed over the edge of the roof, panting with excitement and from running all the way home. She set her backpack down pulled out the sandwiches, wondering if Raphael would show up or not. 

After a couple of hours, Alex sighed, sadly looking at the sandwich she had set near her. He hadn't shown up and it was starting to get cold. She wondered if maybe he didn't want her to see him, which was likely since she hadn't seen him before this. She sighed again, gathering up her books and notebooks before one dropped down, sending several of her papers flying. She cursed under her breath, scrambling around to get the papers before they could fly away. Once she caught all the papers, she let out a frustrated huff, shoving the notebook and papers into her backpack before lifting it onto her back. She looked up, her eyes going wide at the sandwich disappearing. She looked around, hoping to catch sight of Raphael, but when she didn't see any sign of him, she adjusted the backpack on her shoulders, smiling softly at the thought of her shy guardian angel eating the sandwich. 

Raphael pulled the wrapping off the sandwich to examine it, as he leaned against the billboard, watching her adjust the backpack on her back. He had watched her write in a notebook and eat a second sandwich, happy that she had gotten something to eat. He wondered if her home life was different now, but he doubted it. _Maybe someone gave them to her,_ he thought, starting to feel bad as he watched her walk to the ladder and climb over to climb down. He moved to the ladder, leaning over it slightly to watch her wander down the fire escape to her bedroom window. He sighed, sitting on the edge of the roof and lifting the sandwich to take a bite...

"So _that's_ Alex," Mikey's voice was full of humor, making Raphael groan and close his eyes. 

"She seemed... nice," Donnie said, leaning over the edge of the roof to look down the fire escape.

"What's that?" Mikey asked, being led by his stomach.

Raphael gave his head a shove, "get away from me," he growled, holding his sandwich away from his greedy brother.

"Come on, brooooo. I just want a bite. Pleeeeeeeeeease?" Michelangelo begged, trying to crawl over his brother to get to the sandwich.

"No! Buzz off!"

"So, how long have you been coming here?" Donnie asked, doing something on his wrist computer.

"None-ya," Raphael growled, putting his foot against Mikey's chest to keep him away from him as he glared at the orange adorn turtle. 

"Are you going to show yourself to her?" Donnie asked, watching the larger turtle with observant eyes, studying his brother's expression.

"No..." Raphael said hesitantly.

Mikey stopped pushing and stared at him with the same shocked expression Donnie had. The two glanced at one another before looking back at Raph.

"Soooo... are you going to?" Mikey asked, tilting his head in that curious way he does.

Raphael sighed, the sandwich in his hand all but forgotten as he looked down the fire escape at the girl's window, "I... I don't know..."

His brothers were silent until...

"Raph and Alex sittin' in a tree," Mikey sang, dancing around with Donnie as they sang, "K I S S I N G."

Raphael heaved a heavy, defeated sigh, giving the two a glare, "knock it off. She doesn't even know I exist."

"Sure she does," Donnie said, getting a nod from Mikey.

"Yeah, she calls you her 'Guardian angellllll'," Mikey mocked, ducking under Raphael's punch as he laughed and flipped back.

"Maybe she'd be accepting of us," Donnie pondered aloud.

"Or maybe she'll turn us in to the authorities for a reward," Leonardo's voice was like nails on a chalkboard to Raph, making him wince and sigh as he looked at the turtle, standing on the top of the doorway leading into the building.

"I don't know, man. She doesn't seem like she'd do that," Michelangelo said, giving Raphael a punch in the shoulder as he grinned, "not to her 'guardian angel'."

Raph quickly wrapped his arm around Mikey's neck, putting the smaller turtle in a headlock with a growl, "shut up, Mikey!"

"More like a guardian devil," Donnie joked, quickly moving out of reach as Raphael shot him a glare.

"Enough!" Leonardo shouted, jumping down to the rooftop and stalking toward Raphael, "what do you expect from this made up relationship you have in your head, huh? You really think she would accept you? When you look like that!?!" he motioned angrily to Raphael. Raphael scowled at him, clenching his fists, which crushed the sandwich, as he ground his teeth, "wake. Up. Humans will never accept us."

Raphael shook his head, "you don't know that, Leo! This could be my one chance to see if humans would accept me... us."

"It's all about you, isn't it, Raph? What if she doesn't accept you and screams or calls the cops on you? What if you scare her or worse, get caught? What then?"

"I'll handle it," Raph growled, tossing the sandwich over the edge of the roof, trying to keep from throwing a punch at Leo.

"How?"

Raphael growled, "I'll just handle it. Get off my back, Leo!" he snarled, leaping over the edge of the roof and bounding across the rooftops, running away from his pushy, know-it-all brother. 


	4. He's Real

It was well after dawn when he returned to the underground, ignoring Leonardo as he glared at Raphael while sharpening his sword. He started to climb up into his room when Splinter stopped him.

"Raphael."

He let out a tired sigh, not wanting to talk to Splinter about anything that happened that night. He turned and skulked into the meditation room with Splinter following closely behind. He took a seat on one of the pillows and stared at the floor, flooded with so many different emotions that he didn't know what to feel. Anger was normal, he knew how to deal with that. The frustrations of the truth behind Leonardo's words was also a normal feeling. But there was... something else. Another feeling that he wasn't used to and he didn't know what it was. It was a moment before he realized that Splinter had been talking to him and asking him questions. He shook his head, "uh... what? Sorry, sensei, I wasn't listening."

"It's about that girl, Alex, isn't it?" Splinter asked, watching Raphael with a patient expression.

Raphael sighed and lowered his gaze, nodding as he furrowed his brows, "I feel..." he sighed again, "I don't know what I feel. Leo is right. She might be scared of me if she sees me, but... what if she isn't? What if she isn't afraid or doesn't run away or scream or whatever?"

"And what if she does? There is no way to know how a person will react when put in a certain situation. She may be completely understanding and unafraid. Then again, she may be very afraid and it may change how she thinks of you now," Splinter said, watching Raphael's expression fall. He leaned forward, gently putting his hand on Raphael's arm, "do not fret, my son. One day, the world will accept what we are but until that day comes, you will have to be careful. All of you will have to be careful. The world is a cruel place and I would hate for either you or your brothers to get hurt because the humans fear what they don't understand."

Raphael sighed and nodded, lowering his eyes down to his hands on his knees, "I know, sensei."

Splinter gave him a nod and a smile, "chin up, Raphael. I'm sure this girl is different. Most would be frightened of a stranger stalking them."

Raphael looked up at Splinter, giving the rat a frown as the old man grinned at him before chuckling himself, "yeah. I suppose you're right." He stood, giving Splinter a nod before heading to his room for the day. 

* * *

"Alex, why weren't you in school yesterday?" a bookish looking girl asked as Alex slammed her locker shut.

She shrugged, "I just didn't feel like coming to school," she said, purposely being vague and keeping her face down so the girl didn't see the bruise on her cheek.

"You missed a test yesterday," the girl continued, making Alex roll her eyes. 

She didn't care about the test or the homework or even school. She was excited about Raphael taking the sandwich and silently hoped that he enjoyed it. She sat in class, ignoring the teacher as she doodled on her notebook, thinking about Raphael and imagining what he looked like. Maybe he really was an angel with massive white wings and flowing blonde hair. Or, maybe he was a demon with a long forked tail and horns growing from his forehead. She paused her doodling for a moment, thinking how fitting it was if he was a demon. _But, Raphael is the name of an archangel, isn't it?_ she thought, frowning at her notebook. She was starting to think too much into it and shook her head, thinking that Raphael was probably just one of the neighbors that had heard the fighting and beatings and wanted to let her know that he knew... or she. For all she knew, Raphael was an alias. She furrowed her brows, _but then, how did he get the sandwich without me seeing him?_ She thought about it as the bell rang for the next class and came to the conclusion that a bird or something must have gotten the sandwich when she was trying to catch her papers. She sighed, stepping into her next class and taking a seat as she thought about it. Maybe Raphael was just a figment of her imagination. Maybe he never really existed and she just made him up because nobody actually cares about her. Maybe she ate the second sandwich and just made up that Raphael ate it. Maybe her mind was finally breaking down from all the blows to the head. She let out a long breath, leaning her chin on her fist as the teacher started class. _Raphael isn't real. He was never real. I just... made him up..._ she thought, feeling more alone than ever.

* * *

"I can't believe you're actually going to do it, bro. What if she screams? What if she faints?" Michelangelo said almost in a panic.

"And what if she doesn't? Splinter is right. She might be different, but I'll never know until I try," Raphael said, landing on the billboard and looking down at the rooftop, "she's not up here yet."

"I don't know if this is a good idea, Raph," Mikey said, looking nervous while holding his jet board.

Raphael rolled his eyes, "why did you come if you weren't going to do anything but complain?"

"Well, I wanted to watch you crash and burn with your introduction."

Raph frowned at the orange-clad turtle and started to open his mouth to say something when the sound of shouting brought their attention to the ladder.

"What's going on?" Mikey asked, looking cautious.

Raphael's eyes went wide before he got angry and started to jump down to help the girl before someone grabbed him by the shell and pulled him back, "what the hell!?!" he growled, turning to glare at Leonardo and Donatello, "what's the big idea?!? She needs help!"

"If you go down there, you'll be putting the family in danger," Leo growled, jumping down to be level with Raphael.

Raphael sneered at him, "shut up about that, already! We're supposed to protect this city and the people in it," he pointed toward the ladder, "she's one of the people of this city that needs to be protected and you want me to turn my back on that?!? How is that fair?!"

Leonardo had nothing to say to that. For once, he agreed with Raphael... but... 

He didn't get to argue before a girl climbed over the edge of the roof, falling on her face as she tried to get away from... something or someone.

She scrambled to her feet and ran for the other side of the rooftop, hiding behind the doorway as she tried to catch her breath, sobbing as she listened to the sound of someone coming up the metal ladder.

"ALEX! Where are you, you little bitch!" her step-father shouted, climbing onto the roof like some monster out of a nightmare. 

He had found out that she wasn't in school the day before and, when she couldn't give a good enough reason as to why, he slapped her and slammed her head into one of the walls. Reflexively, she kicked him in the shin, sending him stumbling back against the doorframe. Her fight or flight instinct kicked in, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she threw the window open and climbed up to get away from him. Why she climbed up, she didn't know, but it felt right. The rooftop was supposed to be her sanctuary. A safe place. She hoped for a moment that Raphael would save her but quickly pushed that thought away as she climbed up the ladder to the sound of her step-father screaming for her. _He's not real. You made him up. Nobody cares about you._

"ALEX!!" he screamed, hitting one of the air conditioning units with a metal baseball bat.

She flinched, fighting herself to keep from running away as she listened to him drag the bat across the ground, like a killer in a slasher movie. She covered her mouth, shaking with fear as she cried hoping that somebody, anybody, heard the fighting and banging, but past experience told her that if they did, they wouldn't say anything about it. They never did before, why would they now? 

"ALEEEEEEEX!" His angry voice echoed over the rooftops, making her gasp for air at the impending beating. 

She closed her eyes, trying to will herself away from this situation. It wasn't until the only thing she could hear was the wind, did she realize... He wasn't screaming for her anymore. She swallowed, moving quietly toward the edge of the doorway and trying to control her breathing.

Mikey's eyes went wide as he shook his head, like watching a horror movie, as he whispered, "no no no no no no."

She started to lean out to look when the bat flew around the edge of the doorway. She stumbled to the ground as it flew over her head, hitting the brick, hard, where her head was. She looked up at him with wide eyes as he stepped around the doorway with a sneer. 

"There you are," he growled, bringing the bat down toward her. 

She screamed, scrambling back, the bat landing between her legs before she rolled to her hands and knees, clambering to her feet as the bat came down again behind her. She ran to the edge of the roof before turning around, her eyes going wide as he ran at her with the bat raised. She screamed again, not knowing what else to do than cover her head and wait for the beating. The bat came down, hitting her on the forearms and knocking her back against the edge, stunning her for a moment as he grabbed her by the throat, pushing her backward to lean out over the alley far below. She gripped his wrist, trying to keep her feet on the ground and failing as she started to go over. Suddenly, he was jerked back, but not directly back, forcing her farther over the edge. She fell back with a scream, panting as something grabbed her ankle and kept her from falling. She closed her eyes as she yipped, trying to grab onto the brick behind her before looking up. She blinked at the alien-like hand wrapped around her ankle and the green face with a red mask going across its eyes. 

"I've got you, Alex," it said, its voice deep and rough.

She stared as it pulled her up, making sure she was steady on her feet before stepping back. She looked up, up, up, at the very tall creature as it looked back down at her with soft, worried hazel-green eyes. It started to open its mouth to say something when her step-father stood up from where he had been knocked aside and ran at them with the bat raised. She jolted, startled by the man as he hit the creature on the back. The creature winced, but it didn't look like it was from pain, before turning as the man went for another blow. It grabbed the bat, jerking it from her step-father's grip and bending it into a knot without any effort before throwing it at him, knocking him into the doorway. She stared at the man before her eyes moved to the strange creature, taking note of the duct tape cris-crossing it's... shell? Along with the symbols painted in red down the middle of it. Before she could stop herself, she reached out, brushing her fingers over the bottom symbol. She blinked a few times, surprised that it was hard... _like a turtle shell_ , she thought, tracing the crevices and red symbols, completely fascinated by them. 

Raphael swallowed, afraid to move as she touched his shell. He didn't want to scare her. He looked up, watching his brothers as they watched her, all of them holding their breath, waiting to see what she would do or how she would react.

"You're real," she said, her voice quiet and disbelieving.

He looked down, slowly turning around to face her as she stared up at him with the same disbelief that was in her voice before a tear trailed down her cheek. He frowned, reaching out to brush the tear away from her bruise cheek before he could stop himself. He cleared his throat, pulling his hand away and shifting nervously, "uh... yeah..."

"I thought..." she sniffled, "I thought you were made up. A figment of my imagination."

He chuckled, "what? You thought I was like the Easter bunny or something?"

She lowered her eyes to the ground and stepped back, hugging herself.

He frowned, feeling like a jerk after making that comment, and rubbed the back of his neck, "so... uh... you okay?"

She looked up at him and nodded, wincing at the headache starting to pound.

"We should get out of here before he wakes up," Leonardo said, appearing suddenly beside Raphael, startling Alex. Leonardo looked at her, examining the bruises on her cheek, the cut on her upper lip, and the bruise starting to form on one side of her forehead. "You should let Donnie check you out. Make sure you're okay."

She gave a slow nod before jumping as Donatello appeared from nowhere, doing something on his wrist device as he spoke really quickly. She was having a hard time keeping up with what he was saying, the world starting to blur and spin. She lurched forward, vomiting on the ground as the pounding in her head intensified and black started to form around the edges of her vision. 

"Alex?" Raphael asked, watching her sway as she stood straight, or tried to. He moved quickly when her eyes rolled back, catching her before she collapsed, "Alex!"

"Come on. Let's get her back to the lair and see if Master Splinter can help her," Leonardo said, putting his hand on Raph's shoulder. 


	5. The Lair

She let out a soft breath, her eyelids heavy as she listened to the soft music. She took a deep breath, her eyes slowly opening with the smell of the sewer, but there was something else that almost overpowered the smell. Incense of some sort. She stared at the incense burner sitting on the table beside where she was laying, watching the smoke slowly rise and curl before disappearing. She took another deep breath, wincing at the pain in her arm, causing her to look down. Her forearm was wrapped in a bandage with a couple of rough-cut sticks on either side of her arm. She slowly sat up, groaning at the tightness of her muscles and her throbbing in her head. She put her hand to her head, feeling more wrappings around her head. She blinked a few times, trying to wake up and clear her mind before realizing what had happened before she lost consciousness. "Raphael," she said quietly to herself, the feeling that she really wasn't alone was almost overwhelming. 

"How are you feeling?" a soft, elderly voice asked bringing her eyes up as a human-sized rat stepped out of the shadows, carrying a tray with a teapot and a couple of cups with a dish of sugar. He set it down on the table, gently moving the incense burner to the side before pouring the tea into the cups. 

She cleared her throat, "I'm okay... my head still hurts a little," she said quietly.

He nodded, "sugar?"

She nodded, watching him drop a couple of teaspoons of sugar into one of the cups before holding it out to her. She examined his hand as she reached for the cup. Old and rough like leather with long claws and hair growing up to his second knuckle. She set the cup in her lap, watching the tea swirl in the cup, "where am I?"

The rat put a few teaspoons of sugar in his cup and stirred it as well, "you are in the sewer. In a place, my sons call 'the Lair'."

"The Lair?" she asked, looking at the old rat.

He nodded, taking a sip of the tea, "humans fear what they do not understand."

She looked back down at the tea, feeling the cup going cold in her hand, "What we don’t understand, we fear. What we fear, we judge as evil. What we judge as evil, we attempt to control. And what we cannot control, we attack."

Splinter's ears perked up, surprised, "The Lost Symbol."

She nodded, "my mother loved that book," she said, watching the tea as a thought started to sink in. She inhaled, starting to get used to the smell of the sewer, "when are you going to take me home?" She feared the answer and gripped the cup almost too hard.

Splinter noticed her knuckles whitening and sighed, getting to his feet, "well, since you are not well enough to take care of yourself and after what my sons told me, I don't think it's a very good idea for you to return to that place."

She looked up at him, surprised by his words. The tension, the stress, the fear, all disappeared. She sobbed, her hand going to her mouth as the tears started to drop, "I'm... sorry," she sobbed.

Splinter gave her a gentle smile, sitting beside her and taking the cup from her before pulling her into a hug. She buried her face against his chest, sobbing into his robe as he stroked her hair, "there, there. You are safe here, Alex. No one will harm you while you are here."

The sobs became full-on crying as everything she had been through seemed to fade away. Free. She was finally free. Free to just be a teenager. Free of fear. Free of that monster. 

* * *

Raphael stood at the curtain that hung in front of Splinter's meditation room, listening to the girl bawl. He glanced at Mikey and Donnie as the two joined him, both looking as worried as he felt. Leo stood beside him for a few minutes before taking a deep breath and moving forward, reaching for the curtain before hesitating. 

"Well... she'd not screaming..." Michelangelo pointed out.

The other three gave him annoyed glares before Donnie gave him a push, stepping forward as he did.

"You think she's okay?" Donnie asked, wringing his hands nervously. 

"I sure hope so," Raphael said, starting to pace.

* * *

She didn't know how long she cried, but the relief and the rat's warm hug soothed her. She listened to his humming and heartbeat as he stroked her hair. This was what a father's embrace was supposed to feel like. It wasn't until her arm throbbing forced her to lean away from him, did she move away. She sniffled, taking the handkerchief he offered and wiping her nose.

"There. Feel better?" he asked, getting a nod and a soft smile from the girl, "good. My name is Splinter. A few nights ago, you met my sons," he said, getting to his feet and walking as he pulled the curtain aside, revealing the four creatures... Turtles. Now that she saw them in some sort of light, she knew they were turtles. When the curtain opened, Raph stopped pacing, Leo stood up straight, Donnie stopped messing with his wrist computer, and Mikey...

"You're lookin' good for someone who had a broken arm and a concussion."

The other three sighed and groaned saying at the same time, "shut up, Mikey."

She laughed a little, finding them a little strange but considering it was New York, nothing surprised her. 

The one in red stepped into the room, taking up most of the doorway with how large he was, "how are you feeling?" he asked, looking down at the cold tea sitting on the small table.

"I'm okay," she said, her voice a little strained from the crying. She cleared her throat as she got to her feet, quickly grabbing onto the arm of the couch when the world swam. 

Raphael moved forward, reflexively grabbing her arm to help keep her from falling, "careful. You shouldn't push yourself too hard."

"Ha! That's a laugh coming from you," the one in purple said, moving around Raphael before looking at her through patched glasses, "but, he's right. If you can't stand on your own, you should still be resting. You probably haven't healed completely from the concussion."

She nodded, retaking a seat on the couch with Raphael's help. When he moved to step away, she grabbed his hand, stopping him, "thank you, Raphael."

Raphael stared at her for a few seconds before smiling slightly. He cleared his throat, shrugging and adjusting his belt as he did, "it's no big deal."

She smiled at how tough he was acting, knowing that it was just a show for his brothers. 

"Don't you mean, 'thank you guardian angeeeeeel'?" Mikey said, making kissy noises at them.

She felt her cheeks heat up with embarrassment as Raphael turned and gave the orange turtle a shove.

"Shut up, Mikey!"

Splinter chuckled and shook his head, "kids."

* * *

Donatello, the one that wears a purple mask, took her vitals, typing them into his laptop before gently removing the wrapping around her head. She winced as he tugged a few strands of her hair loose. 

"Sorry," he said, being more gentle with the rest of the wrapping.

Splinter sat with her as Raphael watched, leaning against the doorway like a bouncer. 

"Besides having a hard time standing, are you experiencing any dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, drowsiness, or ringing in the ears?" Donnie asked.

She shook her head, "no."

He nodded, typing on the laptop before carefully raising her arm and gently squeezing it.

She gasped, jerking away from him as pain jolted up her arm and shoulder. Raphael shifted as if he would jump in and sock Donnie for hurting her.

He hummed, typing quickly on the laptop, "well, I would have to do a more extensive examination but you should regain your balance in a day or two. If you don't, you may have gotten damage to the inner ear and if that's the case, I'm sure I could come up with something to help you stay balanced."

She nodded, "Thank you, Donatello."

He laughed bashfully with a partial snort, "it's just Donnie."

She smiled, "alright."

Raphael cleared his throat, reminding Donnie that he was still there, "so, except for the balance issue and her broken arm, she's okay?"

"Yep. A little malnourished but nothing that a couple of pies couldn't fix," Donnie said, getting to his feet and closing his laptop before leaving the room.

Raphael looked a little more relieved as he stood up straight, looking awkward about what to do next. 

Splinter cleared his throat, getting Raphael's attention as he nodded slightly toward Alex, only to get a confused blink from the teen. Splinter sighed, "are you hungry, Alex?"

She looked at him and nodded, "yes, sir."

Splinter chuckled as he stood, "no need to call me sir. It makes me feel like an old man."

Raphael smirked, "you are an old man."

Splinter snorted, "not too old to teach you a lesson."

Raphael chuckled as Splinter gently patted his arm as he passed, leaving the girl and Raph alone. The two stayed in awkward silence for a few moments before she cleared her throat, getting Raphael's full attention.

"My... backpack," she said quietly, feeling a little shy.

"Your what?"

"My backpack. I need my backpack. It has my school stuff in it," she said, shifting where she sat, "I don't want to fall behind in school and have to redo the grade."

He thought for a few moments before nodded, "alright. I'll go back to the apartment and get your backpack," he said, glad that he was starting to feel more at ease, "anything else you want from there?"

She nodded, starting to say something before smiling, "maybe I should write it down? That would be easier."

Raphael chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, "yeah, it would. I'll get you a notebook or something from Donnie."

* * *

Raph frowned at Mikey as he rifled through her closet, annoyed that his brothers wanted to come along, "knock it off, Mikey," he growled, pulling the smaller turtle away from the closet and closing it.

"Don't you want her to have some nice dresses to wear around the lair or something?" Mikey asked, dodging Raph's punch with a chuckle.

Donnie was pulling a few books from the shelves and packing them in one of the bags they brought with them while Leo packed some clothes. None of that was on the rather short list she had given him, but Donnie and Leo thought she would want to wear something else every once in a while. Donnie noticed a picture in a frame sitting on the desk with a woman smiling brightly with her arms wrapped around a little girl that was the mirror image of her. He picked it up, looking at the picture for a few seconds before carefully putting it in the backpack sitting beside the desk.

Mikey wandered out of the bedroom and down the hall, making his way to the kitchen before stopping in the doorway. He frowned at the padlocks and chains wrapped around the fridge and cabinets, not understanding why someone would do that. "Uh... guys?" he called, stepping into the kitchen, "you should see this."

The other three appeared in the doorway, their eyes going wide at the locks on all the cabinets.

"What the..." Leo muttered, looking around with a frown.

"Why would she lock the food away?" Donnie asked, examining one of the padlocks.

"Alex didn't do this. That son of a bitch that tried to kill her did," Raphael growled, jerking his twin sai from his belt and stabbing the chain, breaking it with a quick jerk. He opened the cabinet, his mouth opening slightly in shock. 

Donnie looked over Raph's shoulder, his expression one of shock and confusion, "there's... nothing in there..."

Raphael growled, jerking the padlocks and chains off of all the other cabinets and jerking them open before moving to the next one.

"There's nothing in the cabinets," Mikey said, frowning, "then why were they locked?"

Raphael snapped the chain on the fridge, pulling them off and dropping them on the floor before opening the fridge. Only a few beers sat on the top shelf, but nothing else. He stared at the brown bottles as the rage and sadness started to build in his chest. _Why would someone do this? Lock empty cabinets like that? For what?_

"Psychological abuse," Leonardo said, shaking his head slowly, "he probably used it as a way to control her and keep her in line."

Raphael's breaths came out in ragged huffs, his rage starting to get the better of him as he slammed the fridge door so hard it rocked back, banging against the wall behind it, "I'm gunna kill him," he growled, his fists clenched.

"There's no point, Raph. She's out of this place and safe. Just let it go and leave him alone," Leonardo said, ready to stop Raph if he needed to. He stepped back into the living room, looking at the nice 49-inch tv before smirking, "we could help him pay her back though, for all the abuse."

Raphael stepped out as well, glancing at the TV as well before he and Leo shared a smirk. 


	6. Michelangelo's Big Idea

Raphael set the TV on one of the tables near Donnie's work station, feeling much better after he and his brothers trashed the apartment. Donnie and Leo took the bags to Alex as she sat with Splinter, listening to him tell stories of the boys when they were younger. She giggled as he told a story of how awkward Leonardo was, making the turtle groan and cover his face.

"Daaaaaaaaaaaad. Do you have to tell her those stories?" Leo whined, making the rat chuckle.

Raphael chuckled as he joined them, gently punching Leo in the arm, "hard to pretend you're the big dog on campus when Splinter tells those stories, huh?"

Leo frowned at him, rubbing where Raph punched, "he doesn't _have_ to tell her anything."

Splinter waved it away, "nonsense. I enjoy bragging about my sons."

She smiled, "I don't mind. It's kinda cute hearing childhood stories," she said, getting a grin from the rat. 

"See? She's enjoying the stories," Splinter said, getting a collective groan from the boys, which made her laugh.

Donnie sat on the couch next to her, setting the bags down on the table before pulling the picture out of her bookbag and holding it out to her. She stared at it for a few minutes before gently taking it, running her fingers over the picture with a soft, sad smile. "I uh... figured you would want this."

She nodded, "thank you, Donnie."

"Your mother?" Leo asked, getting a nod from the girl.

"She... died in a car wreck a few years back," she paused, furrowing her brows, "conveniently after marrying my step-dad."

Donnie glanced at Splinter before clearing his throat, "did... uh..."

She took a deep breath and shook her head, "no, he never did _that_ ," she said, smiling slightly at the five breathing a sigh of relief, "he was just a physically abusive jerk."

"Well, you're not going back there. Not as long as I'm around," Raphael growled, clenching his fists for a second before taking a calming breath.

"It doesn't make sense though," Mikey said, flopping down on her other side, "why did he lock empty cabinets?"

She stared at him with shock and disbelief, "what?" she asked in a whisper.

"Uhhh," Mikey stammered nervously as his brothers glared at him, "I mean, they weren't empty. They were full. Very full. Food was falling out of them when we opened them."

"Shut up, Mikey!" the three shouted, making him wince.

She looked at the picture in her hands, staring at it with a distant expression, "there was nothing in them?"

Mikey sighed sadly, "yeaaaah... I'm sorry..."

She didn't know how to feel. On one hand, she had been tortured and tormented about all the food he kept locked away from her for years. On the other hand... She started laughing. It started slow and quiet, gradually getting louder until she was laughing hysterically. She had gotten beat to keep her in her place. She had been mentally abused to keep her in her place. She had been emotionally manipulated to keep her in her place. Now, she finds out that the cabinets, that he had told her held so much food that she couldn't have, were empty. There was nothing and she had slept with an empty belly most nights thinking of the nothing that was in them. She laughed because there was nothing else for her to do. It was all she could do to keep from having a complete mental breakdown and bawling her eyes out again. 

Mikey slowly moved away from her, giving her a worried look, "uh, Raph. I think your girlfriend's broken."

"If she is, you did it," Raph growled, also staring at her with a worried expression.

"There was nothing," she said, her laughter slowing with a sigh, "there was nothing. He said there was so much and there was nothing," she looked at the picture before shaking her head, "stupid. I'm so... stupid... I should have known better."

"It's not your fault," Splinter said, getting a nod of agreement from the turtles.

"A guy like that likes having power over those weaker than him," Leo said, looking agitated as he stepped forward, "but you don't have to worry about him anymore. We'll get a room set up for you and you can stay here, with us."

She stared at him for a few minutes before tearing up, "really?"

Leonardo smiled and nodded, "of course," he said before looking at Donnie, "Donnie, can you come up with something?"

"I have the perfect spot!" Mikey exclaimed, dancing excitedly in place.

She smiled, Michelangelo's energy contagious. He quickly moved around the back of the couch and practically tap-danced across the lair before he realized that no one was following him. He scrambled back, waving them all to follow him, "come on, guys! Come on!"

Donnie rolled his eyes, offering his arm to help her stay balanced and steady as they stood to follow him. They stood in front of a very large pipe as Mikey span around inside it with his arms out wide, "isn't this GREAT!?! Think about it! A nice soft bed over here, since girls like that kind of thing. Some frilly curtains over there. This could be the best bedroom EVER," he paused, "well, not as good as my room, but still pretty awesome!"

Alex chuckled, "sounds good to me."

"GREAT! We can start putting your room together right away," Mikey said, excitedly running from the pipe to look for the materials to fix up a room for her.

"Sorry about Mikey," Leo said, rubbing the back of his head, "he can be a little..."

"Excentric," Donnie finished as Raph nodded.

* * *

She didn't mind the eccentricities of Michelangelo. He was sweet and worked the hardest to make everything in the room, for her, perfect. Over the following few days, the brothers worked diligently to create a comfortable room for her. Raphael doing the most heavy lifting while Michelangelo coordinated everything, telling Raph where to set things. Sometimes the two would argue until Raph just shoved it wherever he could and left it until he had cooled down. Michelangelo had big ideas for her room and she just let him do it, not really picky about anything in particular. Leonardo and Splinter taught her to meditate and try to calm her mind, which came in handy on nights that she had a nightmare. Raphael was always there to check on her when she did, sitting with her and just talking until she fell back asleep. There were a few times she would wake up in the morning with Raph passed out, laying on the edge of the couch she slept on or sitting hunched over in a chair near the door. She would just smile and drape a blanket over him when she woke. Luckily, she had regained her balance and the dizziness had gone away, leaving her able to get around without much help. Her arm was still broken, which sucked, but there was nothing she could do about that. When Mikey had finished furnishing and decorating her room, Donnie had gone in to add tech to it, making it way fancier than anything she had ever had in her life. The boys had placed a ratty grey tarp over the entrance to keep her from seeing it, which only made her want to see it more, so when the day finally came that they were finished, she was excited. 

Mikey held his hands over her eyes, keeping her from seeing the room as Leo and Raph removed the tarp, "alright. Ready?"

Alex giggled, "yes!"

"Alright... and..." he removed his hands, "tah-dah!"

Her eyes went wide and her hands went to her mouth. White LED light curtains were pulled aside at the entrance, which was beautiful enough, but when she stepped inside, stars danced across the ceiling of the pipe, which they had painted a dull white. A small sitting area with a hanging chair facing the TV they had taken, that sat on top of a small bookshelf with her books. A faux fur rug lay in the middle of the flat floor the boys put in, giving it a very homey feeling. A desk sat beside the TV with a lamp and several selves for her office supplies for school and homework. She walked farther in to, what she assumed to be the bedroom area. A cherry blossom adorn oriental divider sat at the head of a cute bed that was attached to the side of the pipe, the end, closer to the center, held up by chains attached to the ceiling. The bed was draped with soft pink blankets and decorated with a few sequin pillows along with regular pillows. A small dresser sat across from the bed, built so it sat even against the pipe. 

"I call it, Au de Sew-war Chic," Mikey said proudly, grinning as he pointed out all the furniture and decorations, "well? What do you think?"

She teared up. No one had ever done anything like this for her before and she didn't know what to say or even how to thank them. She sniffled, giving Michelangelo a hug when he came to see what was wrong, "thank you, guys," she sobbed.

Mikey laughed nervously, awkwardly hugging her back before stepping away and rubbing his neck bashfully, "it was no big deal."

"And when you want to go to sleep at night," Donnie said, clapping his hands twice. The lights dimmed so that only the curtain lights and the stars overhead were left lit up, "you can sleep under the stars."

"Thank you. Really. This is so much more than I could have asked for," she said, looking around the bedroom.

"Well, you deserve it, after all the crap you've been through," Raph said from the entrance.

"Oh! And the best part," Mikey said, falling onto the chair, "if you and Raph decide to get a little... physical, this stuff won't break on ya!"

She felt her cheeks turn red as Raphael glared at Mikey.

"Shut up, Mikey!" Raph growled.

"I mean, look at him. He's so big and heavy," Mikey continued, getting up from the chair, "could be all the gains he's been gettin'."

Raphael sighed, "shut. Up. Mikey."

"You should probably be on top so he doesn't crush you, just in case."

"SHUT UP, MIKEY!" Leo, Donnie, and Raph said at the same time, making Mikey laugh.

She had never felt more embarrassed in her entire life, but she guessed that this was what it would have been like to have a sibling. She thought about that for a moment before smiling to herself as she turned to look around the room again. _Mikey isn't a bad brother._

* * *

Sleeping on the couch in Splinter's meditation room was nice, but having her own room, her own space, was even nicer. The first night in a bed all her own, she had slept through the night and almost completely through the day. It helped that she knew she was safe in the Lair. For the first time in several years, after her mother's passing, she felt safe enough to actually sleep. When she woke up, she thought that she had dreamt it all until she opened her eyes, then she thought she was still dreaming. She got out of bed and shuffled around the divider, blinking at the living room. The curtains were closed and glowed gently in the dim pipe. She shuffled to the curtains and opened them, looking around the Lair as she stepped down the small set of stairs. Donnie stood in his work area, turning a screw in one of the many inventions he was working on. She could hear Raph lifting weights above her, huffing and grunting with each curl or chest press. Mikey flew over her head, riding on his jet board and doing tricks over things. Leo stood on a large pedestal of sorts, practicing his martial arts with his katanas. She yawned as she shuffled to the meditation room, where Splinter was sipping his tea. He looked at her as she entered, giving her a smile and motioning to the couch across from him. 

"How did you sleep?" he asked, pouring her a cup of tea.

She smiled back, "I haven't slept like that since before my mom died," she confessed, "I really like it here."

Splinter nodded, putting sugar in her tea before handing it to her, "good. I was worried you would have a problem settling in. I guess I worried for nothing."

Alex chuckled, "I'm surprised too," she said, taking the tea and taking a sip, "thank you."

"Donnie was starting to get worried that you wouldn't wake up," Raph said as he stepped into the room, getting a confused glance from his brother.

"I said that she probably needed the rest. _You're_ the one that wanted to watch her like a creep," Donnie said, getting a glare from the larger teen.

"Did not," Raphael denied.

"Did so," Donnie countered.

"Did not."

"Did to!" Mikey interjected, shoving between the two, "you were all 'oh no. I hope Alex is ok. I hope she doesn't die in her sleep. I should go and give her a kiss for good measure'," he said, making kissing noises.

Raphael growled, grabbing Mikey by the head and jerking him out of the room, shoving him away, "shut up Mikey," he hissed, making the goofball laugh.

Alex would have been embarrassed if it wasn't so funny to see Raphael embarrassed. She took a deep breath, smiling at the boys, "thank you for your concern. Really. I appreciate it."

"It's no problem," Donnie laughed with a snort before seeming to remember something. He produced a cell phone and held it out to her, "I programmed it to track you so we can keep an eye on you. Nothing creepy, but with that guy out there, we just want to be sure you're safe when you go to and from school."

"We're going to take turns meeting up with you after school to get you home," Leo said, coming in from the other side and taking a seat at the table.

She nodded, having almost completely forgotten about school.

"You look like you don't want to go," Splinter observed, bringing her eyes up.

She shrugged, "I honestly didn't think about it," she said, looking down at the tea in her hands.

"If you don't want to, I'm sure Donnie can teach you," Raph said, getting a nervous head shake from the purple turtle.

"No, I don't have the proper degrees or knowledge to be a teacher. I'm a genius, sure, but I lack the qualifications needed to teach anyone anything," Donnie said, giving her an apologetic look.

She shrugged, "I should probably go to school anyway so CPS doesn't get ahold of me and take me away somewhere."

"They'd have to go through me to do that," Raphael growled, tensing up with anger.

"Easy, Raph. She's not going anywhere," Leo said, getting to his feet, "whatever you decide, we're with you. You're family now and as family, we've got your back."

She smiled at him, "thank you."


	7. Donatello's Tracker

Alex packed her backpack with her school books, pens, and the tracking device phone as Donnie gave her the rundown about the phone's features. 

"I'll be able to track everywhere you go as long as you have it on you. If you get in trouble and can get somewhere safe, there's a panic button on there that you press and it'll let us know and we'll be there as quickly as possible. There's a call function... you know... in case you wanna... talk... or... whatever... but it's mostly meant to track you," he said, typing something on the computer on his wrist, "Leo is going to be picking you up down the street from the Canal Street metro behind seven eleven. Alright?"

She nodded, pulling her backpack on, "got it."

Donnie nodded, tapping away at the wrist computer as he followed her out of her room toward the community room.

"You have what you need?" Splinter asked as a worried father would.

She nodded, "yes, I have everything I need and Donnie's tracker, just in case."

Splinter nodded, "good. Be careful out there. The world is a cruel place."

She smiled, giving him a hug before heading for the exit, "I'll see you tonight!"

* * *

Almost as soon as she left, Raphael started pacing, wanting to follow her to make sure she would be alright. He paced in front of Donnie's computers, watching the one that was tracking her, counting the turns she makes and the seconds she stands in one place.

"She'll be fine, Raph," Donnie said, giving his brother a smirk, "the only way that tracker will stop working is if it gets crushed by a 20-ton boulder."

Raphael shook his head, "that doesn't make me feel any better."

"She's just going to school. How bad can it be?" Mikey said, digging into a pizza.

* * *

She nervously wrung her hands as she sat in the office, thinking about the tracker in her backpack as the principal called her step-father. The guidance counselor stood beside the principal, watching her as the resource officer stood by the door with his hands on his belt. She felt trapped. 

Finally, the principal got off the phone, "your dad will be here in about thirty minutes. He thought that you were coming to school the last few days. He sounded furious," the principal said, lacing his fingers together on the desk as he looked down his nose at her, "you have a lot of explaining to do, young lady."

She lowered her eyes to the ground, grabbing her backpack and picking it up into her lap, hugging it as she waited for her step-father to come. Her hand brushed against the phone in the outer pocket. She looked up enough to see the principal and councilor discussing her punishment for not being in school for several days. She pushed her hand into the pocket, pushing one of the buttons on the side of the phone, hoping that it was the button that sent out the distress signal and that they would actually come to her rescue. _Please..._

* * *

Raphael jolted at the sound of the loud beeping coming from Donnie's set up, putting him in the way as Donnie tried to figure out what was going on. "That's Alex's tracker!"

"Yeah, I'm trying to find her now," Donnie said, the map zooming in.

"Where is she?!" Raphael growled, leaning over Donnie, his eyes focused on the screen.

"Almost... All... most... THERE!" he said, pointing at the screen, "she's at the school. Looks like... in the principal's office."

Raphael nodded, hurrying away from Donnie.

"Wait! Raph! Where are you going!?!" Leo asked, catching up to Raphael.

"I'm going to get her. We shouldn't have let her leave," Raph said, shaking his head.

"Take it easy, Raph," Leo said, grabbing Raphael's arm to stop him.

He jerked away, getting in Leo's face, "I'm not going to leave her there when she's calling for help. What was the point of giving her that thing if we're not going to rescue her?"

Leo frowned at him, "I don't think that anything bad would happen to her _in_ the school."

"So what are we supposed to do then, Leo?"

Leonardo sighed, thinking for a moment before nodding, "we'll call April and have her check on Alex."

Raphael scowled at that idea.

"We can't go outside during the day without drawing attention. This would be the safest way for her and us," Leo assured Raph.

Raphael huffed, shoving Leo out of the way before going back to the computers to stare at the blinking red light.

Donnie made the call, "Hey April..." 

* * *

She kept her eyes on the floor, trying to ignore the disapproving glare her step-father was giving her. She gripped the backpack, barely listening to the conversation between her step-father and the principal. All she could hear was the beating of her heart in her ears and Donnie's words playing over and over in her head. She couldn't breathe. The walls were closing in. She wasn't safe anymore. She was going to end up back with her step-father and this time, he would kill her. She felt her eyes burn with unshed tears as the thought of everything that had happened in the last several days would have been for nothing.

_knock knock knock_

She blinked, glancing over her shoulder at the officer as he turned to open the door. The secretary muttered something to the officer before moving away as the officer looked at the principal. 

"What is it?" The principal asked, frowning at the officer's confused expression. 

"There's a woman here. She said she needs to speak with the girl about a story she's doing about car accidents," the officer said, narrowing his eyes at Alex.

"Who is it?" The principal asked.

"A Miss April O'Neil," the officer said.

The principal frowned, "I think this can wait until we're finished here."

"She claims that she's on a deadline and requires this story before 3 pm today."

The principal sighed, leaning back in his chair, "fine. Me and her father can discuss whether or not she's going to get suspended or just detention for her absences."

The officer nodded, motioning Alex out of her chair and out of the office. She hugged her backpack, confused about why someone would want to talk to her about car accidents. She blinked at the woman with long red hair and a mustard yellow pleather jacket. She gave Alex a smile, thanking the officer before leading Alex into an empty room. 

"We don't have much time," April said, going to the window and pushing it open.

She blinked at the woman, completely confused, "what?..."

"You're Alex, right?" April asked, giving Alex a comforting smile, "I'm April. Donnie called me and said you needed help and since they couldn't leave the Lair during the day, they asked me to try and get you out of here so, that's what we're doing."

Alex blinked at that, feeling joy swell in her chest that the tracker and distress signal worked. She nodded, following April's instructions and hopping out the window with the woman following behind. They quickly made their way down the street, not stopping until they were several blocks away from the school.

"You okay?" April asked, getting a nod from the girl as she made a call, "yeah, Donnie. I got her out. We're on first avenue, east of the Rockafeller Center." She listened for a few moments before nodding, "okay. We'll meet you there." She hung up and nodded up fifty-first street, "Raphael and Leonardo are going to meet up at the fifty-first and Lexington station."

Alex nodded, feeling relieved that she was away from the school and her step-father. She and April walked in silence for a few moments, only interrupted by the sounds of the city before April cleared her throat.

"So, besides you needing a bailout, how did you meet the turtles?" she asked Alex, bringing the girl's attention to her.

Alex lowered her eyes to the ground before smiling, "Raphael saved my life."

April looked slightly surprised before smiling herself, "he acts like a tough guy but he's a big softie, isn't he?"

Alex laughed, "yeah he is," she said, smiling about how protective Raphael was of her and feeling the warmth in her chest, "he's probably climbing the walls and bothering Donnie about where I am. I'm glad Donnie gave me that tracker though."

"He's good at inventing things like that," April said, giving Alex a smile, "you seem like a nice girl."

Alex blushed, not used to be complimented, "thank you."

April smiled at the girl's bashfulness, "don't let the guys intimidate you too much. I know they can be loud, obnoxious, and a little intense, but they'll have your back no matter what."

Alex nodded, "I know."

* * *

Raphael leaned against the wall with his head down, the brim of the hat he wore and the long trench coat hiding him from the people waiting for the train. A few glanced his way but quickly averted their eyes, thinking that he was just another weirdo or homeless person. Humans tended to avoid looking at other humans that were seen as being on the bottom rung of society. He lifted his head slightly, looking at the entrance to the subway station as a few more people entered. _I hope April didn't have a problem getting her here,_ he thought, shifting slightly. He waited a few more minutes, getting uncomfortable with how crowded the station was starting to get. "Where the hell are they?" he growled.

"Take it easy, Raph," Leo's voice muttered from around the corner, in the tunnel, "they'll be here. They were several blocks away when April called Donnie."

Raphael huffed, agitated at the waiting.

April and Alex stepped down onto the platform, glancing this way and that. Alex was looking for a very large turtle wearing a mask and was surprised that no one was screaming and running. April, luckily, knew that Raphael, at least, would be wearing his signature trench coat and hat. She gave the very tall, very large, man leaning against a far wall, a smile, leading Alex toward him.

He looked up, feeling a wash of relief when he saw Alex with April. _She's alright_.

Alex was surprised at Raphael's outfit, understanding why he was dressed like that, but she still couldn't help grinning at him, making the large turtle in a trench coat frown at her.

"I don't know how long it will be before they call the cops," April said, giving Alex a smile, "it was nice meeting you. I'll see you around some time."

Alex nodded, "same to you. Take care, April."

April gave her another smile before walking into the crowd, leaving Alex with Raphael.

"Come on. Let's get you back home," Raphael said, nodding toward the subway tunnel.

The girl nodded at what the man in the trench coat said before the crowd moved and they disappeared without a sound. 


	8. Over My Dead Body

Alex felt a little depressed as she walked between Leo and Raph, her eyes on the sewer floor. She thought that she would be alright going to school and pretending nothing had changed at home. She hadn't realized that the school would be part of the problem. Where was all the concern and worry when she was getting beaten so badly that she could hardly get out of bed? Where was the concern when someone saw the bruises? Why would they take her abuser's side over her's, when she was the one that needed help? Where were they? She hadn't realized she was crying until Raphael took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze and bringing her back from her thoughts. She took a deep calming breath, squeezing his hand back as she watched the ground while they walked. 

* * *

As soon as she had gotten back to the Lair, she went straight to her room and fell onto the bed, feeling hurt and numb and drained. Her step-father had almost gotten her again. He had almost taken her away from the turtles and the little life she was starting to build for herself with them. She flinched at the memories before Raphael had rescued her and brought her here. The pain still sharp. She looked at her broken arm, wondering how the school had not noticed or cared that her arm was broken. They hadn't even asked her how it had gotten broken. _Aren't they supposed to report to CPS if I miss too much school or go to school with an undocumented injury?_ She felt anger start to burn in her chest and eyes as she started to cry. Why did no one help her before the turtles? Before her mother died? After? Why do humans suck?

* * *

Raphael lay on the workout bench with his hands around the weight bar, but he didn't lift it, listening carefully for Alex... _in case she needs me_ , he told himself, thinking about the way she was silent and looked sad. He sighed, sitting up on the bench and leaning on his knees as he stared hard at the ground as if he could look right through it at Alex. He sighed, feeling restless and annoyed that there wasn't really anything he could do. He felt almost helpless. He stood, walking to the opening and jumping down. He glanced at Alex's room with a frown, thinking that maybe he should go in and check on her but not wanting to invade whatever was going on with her. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck and shaking his head, not knowing what to do.

Donnie gently put his hand on his brother's arm, giving him a gentle smile before going into Alex's room. He peeked around the divider, making sure she wasn't sleeping before clearing his throat. "So... the tracker worked well..." he said awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

Alex sniffled, sitting up on the bed and pulling one of the pillows into her lap, hugging it as she stared at the foot of her bed, "why did they do that?" she asked.

Donnie blinked in confusion, "do... what?"

"Why did the councilor and principal call my step-dad?" she asked, looking up at him then.

He furrowed his brows and cleared his throat, "I... uh... I don't know..." he said, wringing his hands before taking a deep breath and stepping into her "bedroom", "maybe because, he's technically your guardian... and you missed quite a bit of school... Legally they have to have a meeting with you and your parent or guardian to make sure everything's going okay at home."

She sighed, "but there wasn't a CPS worker there, just the principal and the councilor," she said, shaking her head, "I've gone to school with bruises, busted lips, cuts, scrapes, and now a broken arm," she lifted her arm to show the wrapping, "they didn't even ask about it. They just started talking about me missing school and called my step-dad."

Donnie frowned at that, "What kind of school did you go to? That doesn't sound like a very good school."

She shook her head, "it wasn't," she said, hugging the pillow tight, "he almost got me again..." she said quietly, the tears starting again.

Donnie shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to do before Raphael appeared beside him.

"What'd you do, Donnie?" Raph growled, pushing Donnie out of the way.

"I didn't do anything," Donnie yelped, frowning at Raph as the larger turtle tried to figure out how to comfort Alex.

"He didn't do anything," Alex reiterated Donnie's words.

Raph frowned, giving his brother a hard, unsure stare before looking back at Alex, "so... what's going on? You were kinda down on the way back home."

Alex took a deep breath, fiddling with the corner of the pillowcase, "I thought the school's main priority, besides teaching, was to protect its students and turns out, they don't care. At all," she said, shaking her head, "They didn't even ask about my broken arm or have a CPS advocate called in," she paused, swallowing, "they called my step-dad..."

Raphael's heart stopped. The thought of just starting to get to know Alex only to have her taken away and probably killed made his stomach twist in knots. He frowned and shook his head, carefully sitting on the end of the bed, "he's not getting you back," he growled, bringing her eyes up to meet his, "he'd have to go through me to get to you and I'm a pretty tough son of a bitch to kill. Lots of people have tried and none have succeeded yet."

Alex stared at him for a few moments, noting the serious expression before giving him a small smile, "thanks, Raphael."

He smiled back before clearing his throat and getting to his feet, "uh... don't mention it," he mumbled, trying to play the tough guy, as always.


End file.
